Lifeline

By Barry Swackhamer, June 6, 2016

1. Lifeline Marker

Inscription.

Lifeline. . The arid basins and prairies of Wyoming lie in the rain shadow of our great mountain ranges. The shortgrass prairie of eastern Wyoming and Colorado are also that is left of this native grassland type. Buffalo grass and drama grasses typify the shortgrass prairie. The short grasses grow on the arid, wind blown prairies of the Rocky Mountains front. . Water on the shortgrass prairie is limited to a few potholes filled from early snow melt, holding water in early summer. Man has pumped water, using windmills creating summer long water for livestock and wildlife. Some to the buttes in the area also provide spring and seep water. . The life line for wildlife on the prairies, however, are the rivers, like the Belle Fourche, providing water year-long. The winding Bell Fourche bisects a myriad of coulees and breaks and places water within daily travel distances of large numbers of wildlife. Large cottonwoods and lush vegetation grow near the banks of the river, providing food and shelter for the pronghorn antelope, jackrabbits, sage grouse, mule deer and other wildlife that live on the shortgrass prairie. . Water, especially in arid areas, is an essential element in maintaining Wyoming's abundance and diversity of wildlife.

The arid basins and prairies of Wyoming lie in the rain shadow of our great mountain ranges. The shortgrass prairie of eastern Wyoming and Colorado are also that is left of this native grassland type. Buffalo grass and drama grasses typify the shortgrass prairie. The short grasses grow on the arid, wind blown prairies of the Rocky Mountains front.
Water on the shortgrass prairie is limited to a few potholes filled from early snow melt, holding water in early summer. Man has pumped water, using windmills creating summer long water for livestock and wildlife. Some to the buttes in the area also provide spring and seep water.
The life line for wildlife on the prairies, however, are the rivers, like the Belle Fourche, providing water year-long. The winding Bell Fourche bisects a myriad of coulees and breaks and places water within daily travel distances of large numbers of wildlife. Large cottonwoods and lush vegetation grow near the banks of the river, providing food and shelter for the pronghorn antelope, jackrabbits, sage grouse, mule deer and other wildlife that live on the shortgrass prairie.
Water, especially in arid areas, is an essential element in maintaining Wyoming's abundance and diversity of wildlife.

Erected by Wyoming Fish and Game Department.

Location.

By Barry Swackhamer, June 6, 2016

2. Lifeline Marker

44° 16.548′ N, 104° 58.434′ W. Marker is in Moorcroft, Wyoming, in Crook County. Marker is on Interstate 90 near U.S. 14. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Moorcroft WY 82721, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 1 other marker is within walking distance of this marker. Texas Trail (within shouting distance of this marker).

More about this marker. This marker is located at a roadside rest on the north side of I-90. Access to the rest is gained from U.S. Highway 14.

Also see . . . Shortgrass Prairie - Tarleton University. The shortgrass plains usually have been interpreted as either the most xeric form climax grassland on the Great Plains or as a grazing disclimax (with other compounding disturbances and other variables). The title of shortgrass plains for this semiarid Great Plains grassland can be traced back to Clements (1920, p. 139) who interpreted it as the Bulbilis-Bouteloua Association, a sod grassland of grama and buffalograss in which blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) was "the chief dominant throughout" (Clements, 1920, p. 140).(Submitted on September 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 20, 2016. This page originally submitted on September 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California. This page has been viewed 179 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.

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